Deadham Hard eBook

“Gad, sir,” the latter assured him, “you’re
heartily welcome to the damn little hole, as far as
I’m concerned, if you have the bad taste to fancy
it. I suppose I ought to speak to my son Oxley
about this just as a matter of form. Not that
I apprehend Oxley will raise any difficulties as to
entail—­you need not fear that. We shall
let you off easy enough—­only too happy
to oblige you. But I warn you, Verity, you may
drop money buying the present tenant out. If
half my agent tells me is true, the fellow must be
a most confounded blackguard, up to the eyes in all
manner of ungodly traffic. By rights we ought
to have kicked him out years ago. But,”
his lordship chuckled—­“I scruple to
be hard on any man. We’re none of us perfect,
live and let live, you know. Only my dear fellow,
I’m bound to put you on your guard; for he’ll
stick to the place like a leech and blood-suck you
like a leech too, as long as there’s a chance
of getting an extra guinea out of you by fair means
or foul.”

To which process of blood-sucking Mr. Verity was,
in fact, rather scandalously subjected before Tandy’s
Castle passed into his possession. But pass into
his possession it finally did, whereupon he fell joyously
to the work of reconstructive redemption.

First of all he ordered the entrance of the underground
passage, leading to the river foreshore, to be securely
walled up; and, with a fine disregard of possible
unhealthy consequences in the shape of choke-damp,
the doorways of certain ill-reputed vaults and cellars
to be filled with solid masonry. Neither harborage
of contraband, cruel laughter of man, or yell of tortured
beast, should again defile the under-world of Tandy’s!—­Next
he had the roof of the main building raised, and given
a less mean and meagre angle. He added a wing
on the left containing pleasant bed-chambers upstairs,
and good offices below; and, as crowning act of redemption,
caused three large ground-floor rooms, backed by a
wide corridor, to be built on the right in which to
house his library and collections. This lateral
extension of the house, constructed according to his
own plans, was, like its designer, somewhat eccentric
in character. The three rooms were semicircular,
all window on the southern garden front, veritable
sun-traps, with a low sloped roofing of grey-green
slate to them, set fan-wise.

Such was the house at Deadham Hard when Mr. Verity’s
labours were completed. And such did it remain
until a good eighty years later, when it was visited
by a youthful namesake and great-great nephew, under
circumstances not altogether unworthy of record.

CHAPTER II

Enter A youngscholarandgentlemanof A happydispositionandgoodprospects

The four-twenty down train rumbled into Marychurch
station, and Tom Verity stepped out of a rather frousty
first-class carriage on to the platform. There
hot still September sunshine, tempered by a freshness
off the sea, met him. The effect was pleasurable,
adding delicate zest to the enjoyment of living which
already possessed him. Coming from inland, the
near neighbourhood of the sea, the sea with its eternal
invitation, stirred his blood.